3 Troubling Garage Door Problems

As experts in the garage door, we see common problems that often pop up when we visit a client’s home to check their door. Most of the time the homeowner is perplexed as to why their perfectly functioning door has suddenly decided to stop working. A garage door is a practical part of your everyday life and you never give it much thought normally. But, when it starts malfunctioning, then you realize how much you depend on it operating smoothly. Three of the most common garage door problems we see are: jamming, operation issues and noise.

The Door is Jammed or Stuck

A typical scenario is that as someone prepares to leave their home, they press the door opener but nothing happens. It’s jammed and won’t budge a bit no matter how many times you try opening it. The first thing you should do is check to see if there are any unusual objects caught up in the door trail. Sometimes things fly up into the unit that’s not easily detected by the human eye. If you do see such an object, and can safely remove it yourself, go ahead and do so. However, if you have trouble pulling the object out, do not force it. Leave it to the professionals.

If there is no foreign object in the door then it may be a damaged or broken spring cable, track or pulley. If this is the case, replacement parts will need to be ordered. If the jam is not located in the door itself, then it could be in the remote. Something could be stuck in there or the chains need lubrication.

Operation Not Working Properly

When it comes to tricky garage door problems, we see this all the time. You can get the door to close almost all the way, but it stops short from reaching the bottom. A damaged spring could be the source of this trouble. Also, the track might have some dents or bends in them. These will need to be straightened out. Any damaged extension springs need to be replaced.

Sometimes the door will seem to have a mind of its own and move unexpectedly up or down. The cause may be a lack of lubrication, damaged springs or a problem with the garage door opener itself. This requires a bit more sleuthing to bring the cause to light.

The Door is Making Noises

While most garage doors have few levels of noise during operation, sometimes you may notice that it is squeaking when it shouldn’t. Garage door problems that involve noise can range from a mere annoyance to something to be concerned about. Squeaking may indicate that the hinges, bearings and rollers may need lubrication. Or, if the noise is truly alarming, it could indicate some type of damage to the door opener.

If you experience any of the above problems, don’t hesitate to give us a call so that we can come and check things out quickly.